Will Gabrielle Giffords run for Kyl senate seat?

It depends on her health, of course, but Tucson shooting victim Rep. Giffords, who expressed an interest in running for the senate prior to the tragedy, may represent the Democrat's best chance to pick up a senate seat in 2012.

"The race for Arizona's open Senate seat has quickly focused in on one question: What will Gabrielle Giffords do?

"The Democratic congresswoman, who survived an assassination attempt in Tucson last month, is still undergoing rehabilitation in Houston for a gunshot wound to the head. Physicians have warned that her recovery will proceed at its own pace.

"Giffords was mentioned as one possible contender for the 2012 race during a closed-door meeting of Senate Democrats on Thursday, two sources with knowledge of the meeting said.

"In Arizona, strategists continue to view Giffords as a compelling candidate for higher office. That's a distinction few Democrats in the state can claim after last November, when Republicans captured two U.S. House seats and won every statewide office on the ballot.

"'Congresswoman Giffords's name was clearly at the top of the list of potential candidates against Sen. Kyl, or if Sen. Kyl stepped down, over the past couple years. Given that, a lot of people of course thought immediately of her for this seat,' Arizona Democratic Party Chairman Andrei Cherny said."

A Gifford candidacy would be a double edged sword. On the one hand, her courage and a large sympathy vote would help her. But questions about her health - not asked by any of her challengers but raised by the press - would hurt.

Unless her recovery is even more remarkable than can be imagined now, I don't think she will run. While her progress toward recovery is heartening, the damage done by the bullet was extensive and she has years of physical and mental therapy ahead of her. Running for the senate would take away from her recovery which is why I think that in the end, she may pass on 2012 and perhaps try in 2016 against John McCain who may retire - or be retired - by then.

While I wish Rep. Giffords a speedy recovery, I think the voters need to have assurance that her injuries have not left her impaired and unable to adequately represent them.

Senator Tim Johnson (D-SD) suffered a massive stroke a few years ago and voters were kept totally in the dark about his medical condition. Despite his being physically unable to attend Senate sessions for months, he ran for re-election, but rarely made any campaign appearances and those he attended were just carefully orchestrated sound bites. He never appeared in any debates, round table discussions or functions with his opponent. His opponent did not dare to question whether Sen. Johnson was able to carry out his responsibilities as a result of his stroke. Sadly Johnson was re-elected..I believe largely in sympathy.

While Sen. Johnson had been relatively independent in his voting, after his stroke his vote was in lockstep with the most liberal members of the Senate. Even today he can only haltingly speak and does not make any lengthy public appearances. Last summer when South Dakotas other Senator, John Thune (R-SD) and lone Representative, Rep. Stephanie Herseth-Sandlin (D-SD) appeared together at town hall meetings across the state to discuss the health care bill Johnson was conspicuously absent I believe to conceal from voters his true condition.

Arizona voters should not re-elect Giffords or elect her as Senator unless they can see her in public appearances with the other candidate and judge for themselves her condition and ability to represent them in Congress.

They would never have thought of her (the left said she was too moderate), but democrats love to exploit tragedy — and of course, they love to push people who you can’t attack because it would be “mean”.

How would you run any negative ads against her? The media would be non-stop about how evil it is to attack a survivor.

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